Internal-combustion engine.



J. HUTCHINSON.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25. W16- 1,246,272.' Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

' 3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

J. HUTCHINSON.

rNTERNAL comausnou ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25, l9l6.

Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

gnoe'ntoz J. HUTCHINSON.

INTERNAL comausnou ENGINE- APPLICATION FILED [AR- 25. IBIS.

W v mm a 7 6 2 N m a u JOB HUTCHINSON, OF ASTORIA, NEW YORK.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March25, 1916. Serial No. 86,772.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jon HC'TCHINSON a citizen of the United States, residin at storia, in the county of Queens and tate of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to internal combust-ion engines and has to do with the arrangement and relation of the piston and main" drive shaft together with the connecting drive means between these parts.

One object of the invention is to provide an internal combustion engine, so designed that the time required for overhauling and the cost of maintenance will be,

considerably reduced. Another object of the invention is to provide a central lant having a multiple number of'detacha le power units, which units may be removed from the central plant without delaying the ope'rationof the machine and without impairing the efficiency of the other power units. I

Another object of the invention is to eliminate friction and make it possible to advantageously use roller bearing or ball .practically without end and this may be accomplished without interfering with the reengines.

hearings to su port the main drive shaft.

Another ob e'ct of the invention is to provide an internal combustion engine which will operate without the use of a multiplicity of parts such as cam shafts and timing ears and which in principle may-be adapte to use in either stationary or rotary It hasbeen found of advantage to ins crease the number of power umts in engines rather than to increase the size of the individual units in order to increase the horse power of the machine. By my invention the increase in units may be made lation of the first units to the driven 'parts and without causing severe-shock to fall on the mainshaft bearings as would be "the case where the size of the powerunits is increased.

Other features of the invention and details of the construction involving these features will be pointed out, described and J claimed in the following specification and claims and shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

K Figure "1 represents a sectional view of Patented Now-13, 1917.

7 one type. of internal combustion engines illustrating the 'use of a spur type of gear and the relation between the powen unit at the top which is detachable in its entirety from the central gear on the main drive shaft. This view indicates the space between the two members of the main gear provided for the swinging movement of the connecting rodof the upper power unit between these i parts.

Fig. 2 is a plan view with the removable cylinder head detached, illustrating the valve heads with the openings for the passage of the cooling water.

Fig. 3 represents in section four power units placed in the upper half of an engine and illustrating as in Fig. 1 how the individual units may be detached without interfering with the operation of the other members by-simp1y removing the cylinder head.

F 1g. 4 is an enlarged view of the individual power units, showing the driving gear mounted in bearings provided by the 7 extensions of the power unit. I i

Fig. *5 represents in section aside view of the structure shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of the valve cage showing the valve and sprin in place and a ball bearing mounted in the ower end of the valve rod for engagement with the cam surface of the large cam mounted on 1 the central drive shaft.

Fig. 7 represents diagrammatically a central gear case having a main shaft provided with a multiple number of cylinders to indicate the position of the power units when the invention is applied to an eight cylinder V-type motor.

Like numerals refer to like parts through: out the various figures: y l Referring in detail to the structures illustratedl represents the main drive shaft of the engine which is provided with suitable bearings 2 for supporting this'shaft. 3 represents a main drive gear connected to and. rigidly keyedfto'the shaft 1.- 45 represents a central casing or housing which incloses the .drive shaft 1, .its bearings. 2, the large gear 3' and suitable cams.5 which are provided to actuate the valves of the separable units: Referring partlcularly to the structure shown in Fig. 1 the central gear 3 isshown as formed of the herring bone type but unlike the usual forms the two sides of the gear are separated although rigid in respect toeach other. The unitary power unit is inclosed within the casting 6 which is provided with openings for the piston'7, cylinder walls 8 and valves 9. Extending down as continuation from the cylinder walls are the projections 10 which form and provide supporting bearings for the power unit drive gears 11 which are adapted to mesh with and drive the central gear 3. Eccentrically mounted on the gears 11 and between the two is a shaft 12 mounted on which is the connecting rod bearing on "the end of the connecting rod 13. The casing 4 is fastened to the casting 6 by bolts 14. Suitable intake and exhaust ports are provided -for the valves 9 and on the lower end of the valve rod is mounted a ball bearing for engagement with the cam 5. The cylinder head15 may be removed bodily from the to of the casting 6 by removing the bolts 1 The.

cylinder head is provided with the" usual ignition plug 16. The casting 6 provides a ledge 6 aroundopenings through which the power unit projects and the valve rods extend. As shown in Fig. 2 the power unit and the valve cages may be bodily removed from the casting 6. In this form the cams 5 revolve in a bath of oil in the main chamber 4 and throw this oil over the central gear 3 which carries it up to and in engagement with the smaller gear 11.

In the structure illustrated in Fig. 3 four power units have been mounted for engagement with the oentral'gear 3. This view is at right, angles with the structure shown in Fig. l and practically a section taken cen trally of Fig. 1. The main casting 6-is.

illustrated as being approximately circular and having a continuous annular chamber 18 for the passage of cooling water. The intake or exhaust ports are illustrated in. dotted lines opposite the piston 7..

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5 in detail, it

will be observed that these are enlarged views of the power units showing the mounting for the bearing of the smaller gears in the projections of the unit cylinder From the foregoing description it will be obvious that this invention provides a novel type of internal combustion engine structure in which. the separate cylinders may be detached without interfering with the working parts of the other cylinders and without the trouble incident to the removal of the working parts in the engines of present day construction. The power units may be removed without changing the timing of the engine and without interfering with the cams. When necessary to repair or adjust thetype of engine herein described, it is only necessary to have a spare unit' and to insert this unit into the place of the one to be repaired.

Obviously this means great saving in that machinery may be kept in practically constantuse and the time incident to the repair may be made without removing the engine from itsdaily service. i

By the present invention the use ofroller or ball bearings may be permitted because vibration is so reduced and distributed that no shock falls directly on the main shaft bearings. With the gearing arranged two to one the piston speed is increased from two to four cycles per revolution which gives one explosion to each cylinder for every revolution of the mainshaft and thus making a six cylinder engine of this type, bore for bore, equal to a twelve cylinder engine of the present crank shaft construction. Moreover cam shafts and timing gears are dispensed with and the main bearing friction is largely eliminated.

Another feature of this type of engine is the reduced weight per horse power and the small space occupied.

In the type of engine illustrated in the drawings, it will be observed that the double spur gears with the teethof the double helical type will give the effect of the herringbone gear. In this engine, however, the sides of the herring bone gear have been grooved out in their center to allow the end of the connecting rod to operate between the smaller gears.

Itwill be obvious that'it may be possible to provide a driven'shaft in cases where it has been illustrated as stationary and to cause the cylinders to rotate where they have been shown as stationary and vice versa as may be desired. Such changes as are necessary in the supporting members to accommod te such changes in the size, shape or the relation of parts may be made without de arting from the scope of the invention.

- hat I claim is: 1. In an internal combustion engine of the character described, a main casing, a'

driven shaft mounted .in said casing, bearings for said shaft in opposite sides of said casing, a main gear rigidly secured to said shaft, and a unit power plant detachably securedto said main casing, said unit power plant including a piston, crank shaft and.

crank shaft bearings and gear arranged to mesh with said main gear, said unitary power plant being removable as a unit from said casing. 1 if a 2. In an internal combustion engine of the character described, a main casing, a driven shaft mounted in said casing, bearings for said shaft in opposite sides of said casing, a main gear rigidly secured to said shaft, said casing being provided with an opening for the. insertion of a drive member for said main gear, and a unit power plant detachably secured to said main casing and consticharacter described, a support member, a

unit power plant mounted on said support member having an engine cylinder, a piston, extensions projecting in a line with the walls of said cylinder, bearings carried by said extensions, a crank shaft mounted in said bearings, a gear mounted in. conjunction with said crank shaft, and a connecting rod between said piston and said crank shaft, said unitary power plant being removable as a unit from said support memher.

4. In an internal combustion engine of the character described, a supporting casing, a driven member within said casing, and a removable power unit mounted on said supporting casing comprising a cylinder, extensions in alinement with said cylinder, a crank member carried by said extensions, a piston within said cylinder, a connecting rod between said crank member and said piston, and connecting drive means between said crank member and said driven member, said united power plant being removable as a unit from said supporting casing and driven member.

5. In an internal combustion engine of the character described, a support member, a.

unit power plant mounted on said support member and havin an engine cylinder, a piston, extensions of the walls of said cylinder formed in one piece with said cylinder and extending in a line therewith, bearings carried by said extensions, a crank shaft mounted in said bearings, a gear mounted on said crank shaft, and a connecting rod between said piston and said crank shaft, said unitary power plant being removable as a unit from said support member.

6. In an internal combustion engine of the character described, a main casing, 'a driven shaft mounted on said casing, a main gear mounted on said shaft and having an annular groove centrally located around the periphery of the same, and a unit power plant detachably secured to said main casing, said unit power plant including a cylinder, a piston, extensions projecting from opposite sides of said cylinder and axially therewith, crank shaft and crank shaft bearings in said extensions and a secondary gear between said extensions arranged to mesh with said main gear on said driven shaft, said annular groove providing space for the movement of said connecting rod between the divisions of said gear.

7. In an internal combustion engine of the character described, a main casing, a driven shaft mounted on said casing, a main gear mounted on said shaft and having an annular groove centrally located around the periphery of the same, and a unit power plant det'achably secured to said main casing, said unit power plant including a cylinder, a piston, extensions on opposite sides of said cylinder projecting axially therewith, a crank shaft and crank shaft bearings in said extensions, and a secondary gear between said extensions arranged to mesh with said main gear on said driven shaft, said annular groove providing space for the movement of a connecting rod between the divisions of said gear, said unitary power plant being removable as a unit from said main caslng.

8. In an internal combustion engine of the character described, a main casing, a driven shaft mounted in said main casin a main gear rigidly secured to said sha t, a cam rigidly secured to said shaft, and a unit power plant detachably secured to said main casing, said unit power plant including a cylinder wall, a piston, a crank shaft and crank shaft bearings, a gear adapted to engage with said main gear, and valves and valve rods adapted to engage with said cam and to be operated thereby.

9. In an internal combustion engine of the character described, a substantially circular cast metal ring having a central bore for the passage of cooling water, drmn heads fastened to either side of said ring and providing supporting bearings for a shaft, and a unitary-power plant secured to said cast metal ring and said drum heads and having ports therein for the passage of cooling water, the central bore of said cast metal ring communicating with the ports in said unitary power plant.

10. In an internal combustion engine of the character described, a substantially circular cast metal ring having a central bore for the passage of cooling water, drum heads fastened to either side of said ring, a shaft the central bore of. saidv cast anetal my hand communicating with the ports of said; uni-. nesses.

in presence of two slibscribing wittary power plant, said umtary power plant including a piston, crank shaft and crank- -H shaft bearings and a, secondary gear adapted. Witnesses: to engage with said main gear. ALBERT B. TEN EYCK,

In testimony whereof I have hereuntn set ALFRED URBAN. 

